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Marvin Gaye Trail Description

The Marvin Gaye Trail offers a paved pathway through the Deanwood, Burville, Lincoln Heights, and Hillbrook neighborhoods of Washington, DC. Just shy of 2 miles, it runs from Minnesota Avenue NE, near the Minnesota Avenue Metro Station, to 61st Street NE, near the Maryland border and the Capitol Heights Metro Station.

For its entire distance, the trail loosely parallels the Watts Branch stream through a tree-lined corridor and traverses Marvin Gaye Park (formally known as Watts Branch Park). Two elementary schools and a high school are just blocks from the trail, so it offers students a safe way to access recreational opportunities. Shops and restaurants also buffer the trail.

Marvin Gaye, the famed musician for whom the trail is named, was born and raised in Washington, DC. At the trail's east end is the Marvin Gaye Recreation Center (6201 Bank Place NE), which includes a playground with play structures shaped like a piano and musical notes.

Parking and Trail Access

Trail users can access the west end of the trail from the Minnesota Avenue Station on Metro's Orange Line, and the Capitol Heights Station on the Bile and Silver Lines near the trail's east end. See the website for the Metro subway system for more information.